Silver Medal for Silvertower

This year the Wüstenrot Stiftung dedicated its 2017 Design Prize to how to deal with historically significant buildings. An international jury examined 748 competition submissions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland before announcing one main prize-winner, four awards and five further accolades. schneider+schumacher received an award for its retrofit and renovation of the Silvertower in Frankfurt am Main.

According to the jury: “This tower, not (yet) listed, with its characteristic aluminium façade – Germany’s tallest building from 1978-1990 – plays a prominent role in Frankfurt’s skyline. The architects’ successful concept exemplifies how the appearance of such high-rise buildings of the 1970s can be retained. The architects show that these buildings do not necessarily have to undergo reconstruction, but instead that it is both possible and makes sense to preserve their material character.”